Durga Puja

Durga web photo gallery

Your photos of the Durga

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Once a year in Bengal a great festival is held in honour of the Hindu Goddess Durga.

It's a popular gathering time for Bengali families world-wide as they meet to worship and say prayers in honour of one of the greatest of all the Hindi Gods.

In London, the festival starts with the construction of the goddess and her family and ends with her complete immersion in holy water.

For a while on the night of Monday October 2, the Thames will become (spiritually at least) part of the River Ganges.

Drops of the great Indian river will be poured into London's river at Putney Bridge.

The great goddess made of clay was constructed in the British Museum and will dissolve away completely in the Thames, leaving only a wooden structure behind.

More Durga ...

Gallery - your photos

Your Durga photos

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The Voices of Bengal exhibition at the British Museum includes exhibitions, installations, and performances.

It runs at the British Museum from August 2006 to January 2007.

YOUR PHOTOS OF THE DURGA

Links relating to this story:

• BBC London
• BBC Religion - Hinduism
• British Museum
• Durga Puja
• Wikipedia - Durga

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites

Squeezebox

Guess who's got a squeezebox? Suggs tries his hand

What do Sheryl Crow, Bruce Springsteen and The Gotan Project have in common?

They've all used the dulcet tones of the accordion on their records.

This is part of the reason why this instrument, popular until the end of the Second World War, is making a comeback.

Suggs takes a trip to Lewisham to meet the Allodi family who fix and play the accordion.

Links relating to this story:

• BBC London - Inside Out
• Wikipedia - Accordion
• Accordion links

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites

Flexibreak holidays

Dream holidays investigated by Nick Lawrence

Inside Out looks at the travellers who thought they were going on a dream holiday - a shopping trip to the Big Apple.

Instead they had to do their Christmas shopping back in Luton.

It seemed too good to be true - free flights to New York.

All they had to pay for was the hotel.

The trouble was the booking was non-existent.

Nick Lawrence investigates the holiday company behind it and tracks down the man responsible for all the promises.

Links relating to this story:

• BBC London Inside Out
• Luton Trading Standards

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites